Two Hearts Connected
by SingerMe
Summary: Lee and Amanda connect


**Two Hearts Connected**

I don't own these characters. I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had.

**(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(**LEE & AMANDA**)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)**

I wrote a version of this story line for my other love Gunsmoke and the more I thought about it, the more I knew I had to do the same for Lee and Amanda. They truly were connected. - (Yep, I'm a sappy romantic)

**Set between seasons 3 and 4**

Lee ran like the hounds of hell were on his heels. Well, close anyway. He was being chased by the KGB and he was getting to the point that he was afraid they'd catch him. Down one alley after another he ran but he knew he couldn't hold out for too much longer.

Finally finding a spot to stop and hide for a moment, Lee looked down at his side. The bleeding had slowed, but it hadn't stopped. He was no doctor, but it didn't take a doctor to know how bad off he was. However, there was no help for it. He was in the middle of DC's worst areas with no backup and no rounds left in his gun.

Lee doubted he'd be able to make it to safety. He was weak, too weak. He'd lost a lot of blood and he was getting increasingly lightheaded. "I knew I should've turned this assignment down." He groaned as he caught a painful breath and then forced himself back to his feet and once again began to run.

Though Lee had lived in DC for a long time, there were parts that he still wasn't familiar with. The area, he now found himself in, was a part he'd never been in before, a part he wasn't supposed to be in. He was supposed to have gone to a simple pick up. One of his contacts had called him with a hot lead and insisted he meet him on the east of town at a warehouse immediately.

But when Lee had gotten there, his contact was nowhere to be found. Instead, Alex Kordov, a top KGB operative was waiting for him with three others. Though he had been cautious when entering and already had his gun drawn and at the ready when he walked in, he was no match against the four well-armed men surrounding him.

Or so he thought.

As he was about to relinquish his gun to them, a loud banging came from the right and Lee didn't hesitate a second to seize the distraction. Kicking the one man behind him, he elbowed the one to his left and shoved the one to his right, while ducking the shot from the one in front of him. Before his would-be captors could recover, Lee ran, passing the cat that had saved his life and headed for his car.

But all too quickly, his pursuers were up and after him. Bullets flew in his direction, one of them hitting him in the left side, the others hitting his car and blowing out a tire. Lee vaulted over the hood of his car and ducked down, ignoring the searing pain of his wound and fired back at his assailants. He wasn't able to hit any of them, but he did cause them to duck and seek cover, which was enough time for him to run and get out of their sight.

So far, he'd managed to elude them, but he knew it was only a matter of time before they caught up to him or his wound finished him off. For several long moments, Lee sat quietly, listening for signs that Kordov and his henchmen had caught up to him. But there was total silence.

Lee hadn't lived as long as he had by relying on good luck alone, but right then he was thinking that may have been exactly what he was granted. Now all he had to do was get to a phone and call the Agency for backup.

Only he had no idea where a phone was. The warehouse district that he was in had no convenient pay phones just hanging out on the street corner waiting for him to use them. Still, he wasn't giving up that easily. He was in a modern city, there had to be a phone somewhere.

Taking a deep breath, Lee took one more look at his side and then carefully rose from his hiding spot and began to walk as quickly as his deteriorating condition would let him. To distract himself from the pain and the danger behind him, Lee let his mind roam and as it so often did, it roamed to Amanda. Oh, how he wished he'd talked to her before he'd taken off for the meet.

But he'd just gotten in from a week long contact zero assignment in England, which he'd hated without her at his side, and she wasn't there when he'd gotten in. He'd meant to ask Billy or even Mrs. Marsden about her but the call from his contact had come in before he could. Leaving a hasty note on his desk, he'd left the office without talking to anyone.

He regretted that now. If he hadn't been in such a hurry, he might not be in the shape he was in now and he might've gotten to see the beautiful woman he cared about. Instead he was taking one painful step after another, holding tightly to his side, praying he could find a phone or help of some kind before it was too late.

Rounding another corner, he tripped over uneven concrete and sank to his knees. Raising a hand to a fevered brow, he wiped the moisture from his eyes and tried to look around him but he saw nothing but one large building after another and no hope of help.

Desperately, he tried to regain his feet but his strength failed him at last. Sinking to the ground again, behind a large crate, he knew could no longer push himself forward. He was hidden where he was and anyone passing wouldn't be able to see him. But he no longer cared as the welcoming darkness surrounded him and took away his pain.

"Lee?" Lee stirred slightly at the sound of her voice. "Lee? Can you hear me, sweetheart? Lee? It's Amanda. Lee, you have to get up. Do you hear me? You have to get up."

Lee opened blood shot eyes and raised his head. Amanda was standing a few feet away from him, brown hair and skirt blowing softly about her in a light breeze. "Aman… da?" He couldn't understand her being there. Shoot, he couldn't understand his being there. "What…?

"Its need to know, Scarecrow." She smiled softly at him for a moment. "And right now all you need to know is that I need you. Do you understand? I need you, Lee."

Lee forced himself to his elbows and then further. "Aman…da. Wha… what's wrong?' He pushed with all his might but his hand slipped and he fell back, nearly banging his head on the concrete of the alley he was in.

"Lee, hurry." She implored him again. "Please, Sweetheart. You've got to get up. Please!"

Lee put all of his concentration into pushing himself back to his feet. It was the hardest thing he'd done in a long time but Amanda's soft, pleadingly insistent voice constantly urged him up and forward. "Come on, Scarecrow. Not much further. Just a little more. Come on, Lee. Please, don't stop. I need you, Lee. I need you."

Where his strength came from, he had no idea. But he forced himself forward, step by painful step. Amanda needed him and no matter what sheer physical torture he had to endure, he would do it, if it meant getting to her. He had made the length of the alley and was rounding the corner when he tripped again.

He managed to get back to his feet, but two steps later, he tripped again. This time his indomitable will and great strength failed him. His last thought, when he sank once again into the darkness, was of the beautiful brunette who'd taken his heart and saved him so many times. It seemed this time; she wasn't going to be able to pull him through.

When Lee opened his eyes again, he took a careful look around him, amazed at what he saw. He was no longer in the gritty back alleys of a Washington DC warehouse district. No, he was in a park, lying on a lush green lawn and staring at a brilliant blue sky above him. Sitting up, he focused on a familiar looking figure sitting on a blanket next to an old oak tree a few yards away.

Easily getting to his feet, he started over to her, his stride quickening when he realized who the woman was.

"Hello, Lee." She smiled up at him when he finally reached her. "It's so good to see you."

In awe, Lee sat down beside her, unable to believe she was there. "Mom?" He whispered; afraid if he raised his voice it might somehow disturb this dream or vision or whatever he was having.

"Yes, son." Her smile broadened a touch. "I'm here."

"Why?" He asked. "How? I mean…"

"I've been waiting for you." She answered. "Well, I and that young woman over there have been." She pointed to a bench, some yards away, next to a small pond.

Lee followed her line of gaze and saw Amanda, her back to him, sitting on the bench, gazing out over the water. "I don't understand." He looked back to him mother in confusion. "Wha…"

"It doesn't matter, my darling." She reached over and gently caressed his face. "Right now, all that is important is that you and your lady need to be together." Her expression and voice took on sternness. "Go to her, Son. Go to her and stay with her and what ever you do, do not let go. Do you understand?"

Lee shook his head. "No. Mom, what is going on here? How did you get here? Why…"

"Lee." Her tone was sharp yet kind. "You will understand it all later. But right now the only important thing is your connection to her. Go, Lee. Go to her. You need her and she needs you." Leaning forward, she placed a soft kiss on his cheek and gently traced the line of his strong jaw line. "I love you, son. But I have to go and you need to as well. Now, go on. Go to her."

Lee had so many questions he wanted to ask and so many things he wanted to say but something in the way she spoke made him to understand that what she was telling him to do was more important than anything he wanted to know. So with a nod, and a soft kiss to her forehead, he got to his feet and walked over to the bench, touching Amanda on the arm.

As soon as she saw him, Amanda smiled widely and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I knew you'd come." She whispered in his ear. Returning the warm embrace, Lee closed his eyes and sank once again into the abyss.

"How is he, Doctor?" Billy's voice was uncharacteristically emotional.

"Stable." Came the unemotional reply. "His temperature and blood pressure have dropped and his pulse is steadier. Looks good, Mr. Melrose. He should be coming to before long."

Lee opened his eyes and then immediately closed them against the harsh overhead lights. Taking a deep breath, he tried again and managed to shield his eyes with a raised right hand. "Bi… Billy?"

"Lee?" Billy smiled happily as he stepped closer to the bed. "Hey there, Scarecrow. It's about time you woke up."

Lee swallowed hard and looked around. "Wher… where am I?"

"Parker General." Billy answered. "You've been here about three days."

"Three…?"

Billy nodded. "Yeah. Francine found that note you left on your desk, about meeting your contact, and when you didn't return by noon, we went looking for you. We found your car easily enough but not you. We looked for two square miles around that area but you were nowhere to be found."

"Well, obviously, you did find me." Lee pointed out.

Billy shrugged. "Yes, but darned if I know how. We looked everywhere for you, including the area we found you in. I was just about to call in an aerial search when we took another spin around and saw you coming out of an alley. You were in pretty bad shape when you got here."

Billy started to add that Lee had been softly mumbling Amanda's name when he reached him, but decided it better to let that go for the moment. He had a feeling that Lee wasn't quite ready to talk about what Billy already knew.

Lee tried to sit up but Billy firmly pushed him back against his pillow. "Don't even think about it, Scarecrow. You came damn close to dying out there and I'm not going to let you finish the job."

"He is right, Mr. Stetson." The up till now silent doctor added. "If they hadn't of found you when they did and gotten you here as quickly as they did, we'd be standing by your graveside rather than your hospital bed."

Lee looked questionably at both the doctor and Billy but before he could ask any questions, a pager went off in the doctor's pocket.

"Sorry, gentlemen." He smiled at both of them. "I need to see what this is." Turning for the door, he paused at the threshold and looked pointedly at Lee. "Mr. Stetson, you will get well, but only if you stay in that bed. Do you understand?"

Billy grinned at Lee and then back at the doctor. "Don't worry, he's not going anywhere."

Lee kept his silence and stayed still until the doctor had exited the room then resolutely began to push the covers back and reached for the IV line in his arm. "I'm not staying here either." He grunted as a sharp pain creased his side.

Billy shook his head with a roll of his eyes and once again, pushed him back down. "Oh, yes you are. Now I promised Aman…" He stopped suddenly and Lee gave him a sharp look.

"You promised who, what? Amanda? What about Amanda?" Lee's voice took on a slightly alarmed note but he couldn't seem to help himself. There wasn't something in Billy's expression that he didn't like. "Billy, what is it?" He demanded.

Billy dropped his head with sigh. He knew he shouldn't have said anything. Mentally kicking himself, he looked back up at Lee with concern in his eyes. "Amanda's been sick, Lee. Very sick. She took, what she called, a cold the day after you left for England but she just couldn't seem to get any better. But you know her. She just kept going, taking care of her family as well as coming to work every day."

Lee nodded. "Yeah, I know her. She always puts herself last."

"Un, huh. Well, this time that habit of hers came close to killing her. She was admitted to the hospital four days ago for pneumonia when she passed out on the stairs at the Agency. We weren't sure if she was going to make it or not, but she pulled through."

Once again, Lee tried to get up and once again, Billy held him down. "Lee, there is nothing you can do for her. Right now, you're in worse condition than she is. Now, she's fine, or soon will be. I checked in on her before I came up here to see you. She's resting comfortably and the doctor said she should be released by the end of the week."

Lee took a ragged breath and relaxed for a moment. "Are you sure? She's going to be alright?"

Billy nodded. "I promise. Now, please. Relax, will ya? It's bad enough my two best agents are out of commission at the same time without one of them trying to make himself worse. I don't need this, Scarecrow."

Lee nodded as he dropped his head, already planning to find a way to Amanda's room as soon as Billy left. "Alright, Billy. Alright."

"Good." Billy let go of him and stepped back just as a nurse came in. Billy smiled at the older gray haired woman who'd entered and backed out of her way as she stepped over to Lee's IV and swiftly checked the two bags hanging there, replaced the empty one with a new one and injected something into the drip line.

"What's that?" Lee scowled at her.

"Antibiotics." She replied. "That wound of yours was close to infection when you were brought in. We want to make sure it doesn't go over the edge."

"We?" Lee questioned with an arched brow. "You got a mouse in your pocket, Nurse…" He looked at her badge. "Nurse Russell?"

Ignoring his remark, she marked something on the chart she'd had tucked under arm and then turned for the door. "I'll be back later to check on you. Get some rest, Mr. Stetson." She smiled at him, disappearing before he could offer a retort.

Lee looked back up at Billy with a shake of his head. "Rest? Isn't that what I've been doing for the last few days?"

Billy gave him an exasperated stare. "No, you've been fighting for your life." His expression softened and he laid a fatherly hand on Lee's leg. "I'm glad you won."

Lee nodded just before a large yawn overtook him. "Me too, Billy." He wanted to say more, he wanted to ask more about Amanda, but for some reason he was suddenly very sleepy and he couldn't keep his eyes open. Just before he drifted off to sleep, it dawned on him, that the nurse must've given him more than antibiotics.

When he awoke again, the room was dark except for a soft, diffused light over his bed for the healthcare workers taking care of him. Foggy brained, he opened his eyes when it dawned on him; someone was holding his hand. Lee looked down to see that it was Amanda who held his hand in hers as she slept, bent over from a chair, her head resting on the side of the bed.

"Amanda?" He whispered as he tugged at her hand. "Amanda?"

Sleepily, she lifted her head and gazed at him with a soft smile. "Hey, Scarecrow. How are you feeling?"

"Me?" He pulled his hand free and gently cupped her chin. "How about you? Shouldn't you be in bed yourself? How'd you get in here?"

Amanda shrugged. "Well, you know… I… I… well, I couldn't rest. I had to know how you were. Mr. Melrose told me you had come to and that you were going to be alright, but I needed to see for myself. I disconnected my IV and snuck up here. When I got up here, I went into several rooms and pulled the calls lights and then came in here when the nurses left to answer them."

Lee shook his head at her with a grin, thinking how well he'd taught her. "So you get out of your sick bed to come and get in mine?"

Amanda blushed and looked down. "I didn't get into your bed, Lee. I just… I just rested my head on the side of it. I…"

Lee grabbed her hand as she started to rise. "Amanda, I was saying that you should be in bed, resting. I heard how sick you were and I'm worried about you."

"I know." She answered softly. "And I was worried about you too. At least I was when I woke up and Francine told me you were here. I'd been here sooner but I was too weak." She dropped her head with a slight tick of her shoulders. "Truth is, I didn't know if I was going to make it, Lee. I don't how to explain how I knew but… well, I knew I was dying. I didn't want to, but I knew I was. But then I had this dream."

Lee's focus sharpened. "Dream?"

Amanda nodded, head still down. "I dreamed I was on this bench by this pond and I was just sitting there staring at the water, waiting to die, when suddenly you were there. There was another woman there too, but it was you that came to me and hugged me and I knew, I just knew, I'd be alright." Finally she looked up at him. "Sounds crazy, huh?"

Lee shook his head, remembering his own experience. "No, it doesn't, Amanda. In fact, I had a dream pretty close to that. I was in an alley and I knew I couldn't go much farther. I fell and I was about to just quit when I heard you calling, telling me you needed my help. I remember making myself go, despite the pain because you needed me. At some point, I guess I did pass out and when I woke again, we were in a park, and that woman, who was there, was my mother. She told me to go to you and hold on and everything would be alright. So I did."

Amanda leaned over and kissed him. "I guess she was right."

Lee returned the kiss, lingering for a moment longer before pulling back. "Yeah, I guess so." Suddenly Lee chuckled. "You know what this means, don't you?"

"What?" Amanda looked at him lovingly.

"It means we're stuck with each other." Lee answered.

"I'm awful glad to hear that, Scarecrow." Amanda smiled as a yawn overtook her.

"I need you need to go to bed, Amanda." Lee said as her contagious yawn took him over.

Amanda nodded. "I think I will."

A couple of hours later, Kathleen Russell, R.N., doing her nightly check, came in to find Lee and Amanda both lying side by side, hand in hand as they slept, identical smiles on their faces. Hospital policy strictly forbid such behavior. Hospital policy said that Amanda should be back in her own room, in her own bed.

But Kathleen remembered her own true love and what she would've done to be with him.

Kathleen left them alone. She'd come back later, before her shift ended and the rest of the hospital stirred and she'd see Amanda back to her room, personally. But right then, she left them alone. Two hearts, that connected, needed to be together as often and as long as possible. As long as they were in the hospital, she'd see to it that they would be.

The End


End file.
